Since Israel ceased military operations in Gaza Hamas has demonstrated the extent of their desire for peace by launching a total of 81 missiles at Israeli civilians. Why anyone still thinks there can be peace in the Gaza region is hard to understand. Short of Divine intervention the only way peace will be achieved there is if the Jews either abandon Israel to the Arabs or if the Israelis wipe out Hamas.
Of course, even then it's doubtful there'd be peace. If the Palestinians take over the land currently called Israel they'll only set about fighting amongst themselves, and if Israel rids itself of Hamas some other group, just as virulent as Hamas, will quickly take its place.
As long as there are Arabs and Jews living in proximity to one another there will be war. The best that the Israelis can hope for is to keep their enemies so weak that they can't mount a serious threat. When the day arrives that the Arabs have nuclear weapons, and it eventually will, on that day they will use them and Israel will cease to exist.
That anyone in Washington thinks otherwise is a symptom of an inability to learn the lessons of history and an inexplicable refusal to take the Arabs at their word.
RLC